Treatment

The first step to treat spasticity is to look for a noxious stimulus — something bad or foreign to the body — such as:

A urinary tract infection

Constipation

A pressure ulcer

These can cause an increase in spasticity.

If a cause is not found, the next step is to treat the spasticity. Stretching and ice may only do so much to help the spasticity. A spinal cord injury physician might have to prescribe medicine to treat it.

First-line medications include Lioresal (baclofen) or Zanaflex (tizanidine). These medications are started at low doses and adjusted gradually based on your body’s response.